


In nomine Patris

by p1013



Series: Kinkuary 2021 [25]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Chastity, M/M, Monk Draco Malfoy, Monk Harry Potter, Mutual Pining, POV Draco Malfoy, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Requited Unrequited Love, liberal use of bible quotes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:29:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29737365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p1013/pseuds/p1013
Summary: Wiping his hands on his work pants, Draco hurries to where the Abbot is waiting with a man Draco's never seen before. It's like the garden has come to life, reborn in the form of a man. His skin is as dark as the rich earth, his hair like the shadows beneath the leaves. And his eyes… They're new-spring growth, bursting bright and welcome from the ground, so green that Draco thinks he'll never see that same shade again, except in this man's eyes.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: Kinkuary 2021 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140512
Comments: 18
Kudos: 77
Collections: HP Kinkuary 2021





	In nomine Patris

**Author's Note:**

> Day 27 - Chastity

_ Our Father, who art in Heaven. _

Draco prays, his head bowed low. 

He's alone in the nave, and the light of the prayer candles flickers across the well-worn and polished wood of the pulpit and the altar behind. High above him, the Lord Saviour's blood-streak face is staring down at Draco as he asks to be led from temptation.

He thought life in the monastery would be easier. He's always found peace in the Church and its rituals. His earliest memories are of being woken in the village by the sound of the bells ringing in the sunrise, and of taking Communion, his mouth open and the thin wafer placed on his tongue, the flat taste chased away by the tang of wine. No one was surprised when he joined the priesthood, but when he'd announced his intention to enter a monastic order, especially a chaste one, his father had balked.

"You've a duty to your family," he said, pale eyes still wide in shock, "to your lineage. And the Lord said to honor thy father."

"It is written in John that 'you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' My truth, Father, is that my life is with the Church, not as head of the Malfoy family."

His father had ranted and railed, but it hadn't changed Draco's mind. He didn't explain that not joining the monastery wouldn't have stopped Draco from pruning his branch of the family tree.

There were no children in his future, not with his inclinations. Not with his sins.

Now, his knees aching as he recites prayer after prayer, he wonders if knowing his truth is any freedom at all.

* * *

The first time he sees Brother Harry is in the garden. Draco's hands are stained with dirt, and he has fine cuts along his fingers and palms from the weeds. He's so focused on his task, he doesn't hear his name called until the second or third time.

"Brother Draco!" Abbot Slughorn's voice is tinged with annoyance. "Do come here."

Wiping his hands on his work pants, Draco hurries to where the Abbot is waiting with a man Draco's never seen before. It's like the garden has come to life, reborn in the form of a man. His skin is as dark as the rich earth, his hair like the shadows beneath the leaves. And his eyes… They're new-spring growth, bursting bright and welcome from the ground, so green that Draco thinks he'll never see that same shade again, except in this man's eyes.

"Brother Draco," Abbot Slughorn says again, knocking some sense back into Draco's head, "this is Brother Harry. He's joining our order. As you were the most recent initiate, I'd like you to give him a tour of the monastery and get him acquainted with our routines." The Abbot gives Brother Harry a sympathetic smile. "You shouldn't have much trouble settling in. We follow a fairly standard schedule, but Brother Draco here will make sure you're aware of how we differ."

"Thank you, sir." Brother Harry smiles brightly. Like a flower following the orbit of the sun, Draco turns towards it. "Brother Draco, was it? Thank you for your help. I know this must be a great imposition…"

"No, of course not. You're saving me from the weeding. Come, I'll show you to the grounds."

They walk through the cloister and the currently unused calefactory. As they enter the main buildings, Draco starts pointing down hallways and at doors.

"The refectory is through there. We have three communal meals a day. Depending on your rotation, you'll be expected to either help with the cooking or with the cleaning up after. There aren't many of us, so it isn't too onerous. The dormitories are above the calefactory, which is lovely in the winter but a bit much in the summer. You'll grow used to the heat."

"How long have you been here?" Brother Harry asks as he trails behind Draco, his green eyes taking in the stonework and the rooms.

"I joined about eight months ago. If you go down those stairs, you'll find the brew house. Our brewmaster, Brother Severus, is a bit difficult at times, but he does know what he's doing with beer."

"How do you like it here?"

Draco turns down another hallway. "The library is through there, and the scriptorium is just beyond that. I'm afraid my manuscripts aren't that good yet, so someone else will help you there. Now, through these doors, we'll be entering the main churchyard, and then into the church itself. We pray the hours in there, though sometimes when the weather is nice and the Abbot is feeling adventurous, we'll do those around the grounds instead."

Brother Harry hums an acknowledgement. He doesn't say anything about Draco's lack of an answer, just follows Draco through the churchyard and into the church. The nave is empty, so they're alone in the echoing space. Light streams in through the stained glass windows, painting the stone floor in streaks of color. It's beautiful, and Draco's filled with the sense of peace and belonging he always gets when he's in this space. As if God himself had reached down and put a calming hand on his shoulder and held Draco firmly to the ground.

But that peace twists out of his grasp as he turns and sees Brother Harry painted in light.

"So, you like it here?" Brother Harry asks again, and this time, Draco answers.

"I do." He doesn't look at Harry's shoulders or his hands or the lean line of his hips. He looks at the windows and the saints, and he prays to them for guidance. The bright morning light continues to shine through them and onto Harry, almost as if the saints want to touch him as much as Draco does.

* * *

The following weeks turn into some of the most happy and most torturous days of Draco's life. Brother Harry looks to Draco for guidance at first, but quickly falls into the daily routine. He joins the bell ringers, something that Draco had never had any interest in before. After, though, Draco finds himself wandering into the base of the bell tower and watching Brother Harry and the others ring the changes.

Brother Harry is smiling as he does it, and his peals of laughter blend with the peals of the bells, and Draco can't believe there's any greater music in the world.

Draco has wanted before, but nothing like this. He's been tempted by earthly desires, has known the thrill of an illicit touch found in the dark of night. There were even times when he considered leaving the church and the country and finding a place where he could give into this carnal need burning through him.

Those are the times he goes back to scripture and finds peace in God's word.

_ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh _ .

Brother Harry is different. He draws that same heat into Draco's blood as the other men had, but it is more than that. The man is intelligent, friendly, kind-hearted. Draco enjoys spending time with him, whether they discuss scripture or the most recent batch of beer or the way the harvest is coming in. They have a kinship, a similarity in their souls that allows them to sit in silence and yet be heard.

It makes the wanting worse.

* * *

It's an unusually clear night for late spring. Though it's well past time for Draco to be in bed, he couldn't pass up the chance to stand alone in the cloister and glory in God's work.

The stars arc above Draco's head in a band of dusted light. Trailing his eyes from one to the other, he finds his namesake in the sky and counts his way down the twisting serpent's body. Breathing in, Draco holds the damp air in his lungs until his chest aches, then releases it in a slow, controlled exhale. Again and again, he repeats the act until his heart is still and his mind is clear.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee."

"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Brother Harry steps from the calefactory, hands in his pockets, his smile soft and questioning. "What are you repenting for, Brother?"

_ On my bed by night _ , Draco thinks,  _ I sought him whom my soul loves _ .

"Nothing." Draco turns away, desperate to find his peace again. "Everything, I supposed."

Harry laughs. "We are but human, born to sin. If you need to unburden your soul, I'll listen."

_ Whenever you stand praying, forgive. _

"We sin every day, don't we? In even the smallest of ways. Consider it penance for that, and don't worry yourself over it."

"I'm afraid I can't help but worry."

Harry's body heat rolls over Draco, and he turns to find the other man standing next to him, their arms close enough to touch but not. He stares up at the sky, tracing the same constellations that Draco had been earlier, almost like a caress against the remembered warmth of a lover's hand. A moment later, Harry's head dips, his hand drops, and his fingers brush against Draco's.

_ My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. _

Draco steps away.

"Sorry," Harry says quickly, his flushed cheeks obvious even in the dark. "I shouldn't interrupt."

_ My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not. _

"It's late," Draco says. He shifts his weight and leans closer. Their hands brush again. "The stars are rather lovely, though."

"They are," Harry says, though he doesn't lift his gaze to the sky.

_ His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend. _

"Do you know your constellations?"

"Only a few. Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Casseiopia." Harry pauses. "Draco."

_ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God _ .

Draco lets the warmth of Harry's hand seap into his, then steps away. He cradles its memory in his palm and wraps his fingers tight around it, holding it until it fades. "Good night, Brother Harry.

"Good night, Brother Draco. Peace be with you."

"And also with you."

_ Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. _

**Author's Note:**

> This kind-of, sort-of meets the prompt, yeah? 😂


End file.
